Self-centering curing bag for tire section molds



Oct. 9, 1945. I. F. PROAPS 2 3 SELP-CENTERING CURING BAG FOR TIE 5E SECTION MOLES I Filed Nov. 20 3.942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I 3 24m Wugvraw:

Oct. 9, 1945. F. PROAPS CENTERING CURING BAG FOR TIRE SECTION MO LDS SELF- Fil ed NOV. 20, 1942 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Arm/vibe; /PW//v fipeolq s,

' firraP/ver Patented Oct. 9, 1945 "SEIJF CENTERING CURING -BAGRFCFR' TIRE SECT-ION MOLDS l-IrwinF. Bnoaps, Wichita, TKans. Application Novenibm' 20, 1942,"SerialNo. 466,380

4 Claims.

IMy invention relates to an improvement in self centeringcuring bags "for tire section molds.

' Heretofore 'these bags have beenmadeo'f rubbcr, the walls-of whi'ch h'ave been eiitremely thick andthe endsh'ave been made very heavyin order that the bag would stand thefheat and pressure that it"wassubjected to when it was used. These bags :are the type that are placed inside 'a tire in the process of repairing sections of the tire. The bad :faults of these bags have been that the heat and "pressure "that the bags were subjected to caused them to selongate and therefore shrink from their properi'di'ametri'c'al size andtherefore soon deteriorate and Ebe :short lived from breakage and produce the #proper pressure on the tire during therproc'ess of .therepair'beingrmade. Due

' to the amount ofrubber'icontainerin'the bagand rigid .frame element detachablyiattachedthereto t that 5 provides a :means of preventing r the '-elonga-' tion of the bag "when the *bag is under isteam pressure'and therefore-the diametrical dimension of thebag is retained throughout the life of the bag which is materially. increased due to thezconstruction and use ofthebag.

A still further object is that the bag contains only: a small amount of =rubber "and is therefore much che'aper:and'easier to make.

Another object is that numerous sized bags maybe made to fitwarious :sized itires and all these bags may be mounted 'within the above mentioned frame so =that a tire-shop rmay have and use'arlargestock of various'sized curingbags without having to haversomanyiframes onxhand.

A still further object is that the frame is so made ithatiitm'aylbe used independent'of conventional tire mold machines, or the curing bag device may be used in conjunction with conven- 'tional tire section mold machines.

Still another object is that when the curing bag deviceis used in conjunction with a the section mold-machine theTrame-dfthe device isYso designedthat when the machine is closed about a tire the curing bag will be centered in .the tire being repaired. I

These and other objects will be more fully described as this description progresses.

Nowreferring 'to the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective -viewo'f a conventional type-0f-a sectional'tire mold machine showing a tire ,positioned therein and showing my'improved self centering curing bag device being. used in connection therewith.

Fig.2 'is aperspective view of. 'a portion of Ithe machine shown in Fig. 1, the tire mold section being opened so as to showimore clearly the position of the tire an'dlmold bagdevice as used in connection withthemold machine.

Fig.3 iisa side view of the assembled curing bag an'd'frame'therefor. I

Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveviewof'the .curing bag partsbeing broken away'for convenience of illustration. p

Fig. "dis a perspective view of oneend of the frame support for the bag, both ends of "the frame being the same.

Fig. 6 is a-side view ofthe curin bag and supporting frame, and havingatireim'ountedthereon, and illustrating how the'device is used independentof any other machine; partsarejbroken away. in this viewfor convenience of illustration.

Fig. 7 is -a detail sectional view through the curved frame element, the viewb'eing taken'alon'g the line VII'VII in Fig. '6, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings is shown a conventionalitir'e section .mold machine it having two 's'teamheated mold elements l0 and that are hinged together so that a tiremay be placed therebetween'and removed therefrom by closin and opening the outside mold section 1 [land l.

The mold :l'l vis provided witha curved shoe I2 against which the inside 'face of thebeads l3 and M .of the tire 1-5 rests to properly position the tire in the mold.

The curing .bag device comprises a'' hollow rubber element l 6 that is curvedandifashionedto' fit the innersurface of the tire l5. 'Iheends Ilia of the bag Hi are fiat and are .an integral. part of the baglfi. I

In thebagITBand at eachen'd'thereof is positioned a metal plate "I1 that substantially fills the end of the bag It and rests against the rubber ends 16a of the bag.

At each end of the bag l6 and on the outside thereof is a second plate l8 fashioned to fit the inside shape of the tire l5.

At l9 and 20 is shown tubular elements that are threaded into a coupling 2| into which one end of a second tubular element 22 is threaded. The other end of the tube 22 is threaded into the inner-plate l1 and as the tube 22 is turned to further advance the tube 22 through the plate 11 the coupling 21 engages the outer plate 18 thereby drawing the two plates I I and. I8 toward each other and thereby clamping the rubber end elements lea between the plates l1 and [8, this construction exists at each end of the bag.

A steam hose having a control valve therein,

(not shown) may be connected to the tubular element I9, and a second exhaust hose having a control valve therein (not shown), may be attached to the tubular element 20 as a drain line for condensed steam or water, that will accumulate in the bag l5.

The plates l8 are provided with a recessed por tion'23 in which is centrally positioned a boss 24 through which the 'tubularelement 22 slidably passes.

The bag assembly is provided with a curved frame or support member 24b the cross section of which is a cruciform shape. On each end of the frame 24b is a head element 25. The opposing faces of the heads 25 are identical and are fashioned to snugly fit within the recess 23 in the plates H3. The heads 25 are provided with holes 26a therethrough and through which the tubular elements l9 and 28 pass and in which the bosses 24 are positioned so as to accurately hold the bag IBin its proper position between the heads 25 of the frame element 241),

. The inner flange 24a of the frame 24?) is provided with indenturesZB adjacent the heads 25. These indentures 26 receive the ends of the curved shoe l2 of the tire section mold A so that the bag [6 is properly positioned in the mold and in proper position within the tire l as shown.

If the bag is to be used without the mold a curved piece of iron 2'! may be seated inthe indentures 26 to form a curved shoe against which the beads l3 and I4 may be seated to properly hold the bag I6 in the tire l5.

' If the repair. job is to be done without the use of a section mold machine such as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tire maybe placed on the curing bag and supporting frame |524b-2'I in the manner shown in Fig. 6 whereupon the tire l5 and curved shoe 2'! maybe wrapped with fabric strips 28 so as to secure the tire on the curing device so that pressure and heat may be supplied or applied to the interior of the'tire bythe curing bag atthe place being repaired.

, If heat is required on the outside of the tire as well as inside a steam chest 29 may be bound against the exterior of the tire by the wrapping strips 281; as shown in Fig. 6.

The stem chest is provided with a tubular inlet 30 and an exhaust tube 3| so that steam may be entered into the chest 29 and the condensed steam, water, may be I drained from the chest 29 through the tubular element 3|.

The frame 24b is provided with a boss 32 having ahole 33 therein in which may be seated a pin 34 that may be positioned in a hole in any suitable supporting element (not shown) so as to hold the curing bag IS in a tilted position so that water collecting therein from condensed steam may be readily drained from the bag I6.

Such modifications of my invention may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention. Now having fully shown and described my invention, what I claim 1. In a curing bag device for repairing tire section; a thin walled rubber bag fashioned in the shape of a segment of a circle to conform to the shape of the interior shape of a tire, the ends of said bagv being made rigid by means of a pair 'of plates between which the rubber ends of the bag are clamped, the clamping means being a tubular element having an enlarged element thereon for engaging the outside plate, the inner end of the tubular element being threaded through the inner plate so that the said enlarged element engages the outer plate so as to produce the clampingeffect between the two plates, the tubular element at each end of the bag providing a means of admitting steam under pressure into said bag at one end thereof and draining condensed steam from the other end thereof and means for definitely holding the ends of the bag against movement to prevent elongation of the bag when the bag is inflated with steam pressure said means for definitely holding the ends of the bag comprising a curved rigidframe element hav ing a head on each end thereof, said bag and end plates thereon being positioned between said heads, the engaging faces of said heads and plates being formed so that one will receive the other .for definitely holding the bag in a predetermined 35 fixed position in the said frame, said heads having openings therethrough for the passage of the tubular elements on the ends of the bag.

2. A curing bag device for tire section molds having a curved shoe thereon for the support of a tire and curing bag, said device comprising an expandible curing bag having the shape of a segment of a circle; a rigid frame element positioned outside the bag and shaped'to engage both ends of the bag, a curved shoeagainst which the bag and beadsof a tire may rest so as to properly position the bag within the tire for the performance of the repair to be made, and means on said frame element to secure said shoe in proper position.

3. In a curing bag device for repairing tire sections as defined in claim 1, said means for definitely holding the ends of the bag comprising a curved rigid frame element positioned outside the bag and having ahead on each end thereof, said bag and end plates thereon being positioned between said heads, the engaging faces of said heads and plates being formed sothat one receives the other for definitely holding the bag in a predetermined fixed position in the said frame, said heads having openings therethrough for the passage of the tubular elements on the ends of the bag, said bag being attachable and detachable from said frame element and being held in position between the said heads by reason of longitudinal pressure of the expandible rubber bag.

4. In a curing bag device for tire section repair as defined in claim 2, said curved shoe being a curved element fitted between the end portions of the frame to function as a tire and curing bag support as shown and described.

, r IRWIN F. PRoAPs. 

